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Monday, January 17, 2011

127 Hours, a lifetime experience of....

Trapped by boulder, saved by will power, mountaineer Aron Ralston's real story is a spiritual triumph

He drinks his urine, and worse, there isn't much left! For the sake of survival, as you, I and Aron know, anyone would do anything to stay alive. Engineer mountaineer Aron Ralston does just that and comes away triumphant regaining his youthful life. Aron (convincingly played by James Franco) who stayed trapped in Utah canyon for five days, in 2003, before he amputated his right arm which was sandwiched between rocks, to free himself, is the inspiration this time for Danny Boyle after his phenomenal success of 'Slumdog Millionaire'. Danny, co-scripter Simon Beaufoy, actor James, the cameramen AR Rahman, and even Mumbai's Gleehive Children's Choir together make a movie that will definitely move you - unlike the boulder that squashed Aron's arm.

Though you know the story - and what's coming next, which is a letdown for a gripping tale like this, 127 Hours, that is the amount of time Aron spent trapped, takes you to a world of its own. You can almost feel the rocks, thanks to the camera, talk to the insect that crawls on the giant canyon and be in awe with Aron and his co mountaineers in the beginning of the story when they let fall themselves between the rocky cracks into the water below. Also, you are left alone with the rocks and the piece of sky above, just like Aron. So there's time for you to reflect what you would have done in such a situation. Aron remembers his girlfriend, his family, video-records his torment, does a mono interview, fancies orange juice, beer at the party and masturbates! Director Danny also pours in hallucinatory images of rain gushing between the cracks pulling Aron along and Aron's family in the rocks watching him die.

'This rock has been waiting for me', philosophizes a ready-to-die Aron. With the flashback scenes bit weary the audience is, just like the hero, ready for the amputation scene. At Avenues some people left amidst some others making 'Yumma..' and 'eee...' sounds. But Danny isn't a documentarian. While Aron cutting his right arm with a dull knife, we see a child, the little Aron, looking at himself - a saving grace.

Now relieved, we meet a mountaineering family who must have called for the helicopter to take Aron - and us - back to a montage of people, where we belong. As for the amputated arm, it is left with the rocks where it belongs.